US, Japan and South Korea hold talks on North Korea’s latest missile launches

The US, Japan and South Korea held phone consultations to share information and discuss responses after North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said Monday.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday, marking its 14th ballistic missile launch of the year and the first in eight days, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Yonhap News Agency reported.

Baek Yong-jin, director general for Korean Peninsula policy at the Foreign Ministry, spoke with David Wilezol, deputy assistant secretary for Northeast Asia at the US State Department, and Takashi Ariyoshi, a senior official at Japan's Foreign Ministry.

"The three officials shared relevant information and discussed future responses," the ministry said.

"The foreign affairs authorities of the three countries operate a channel for promptly sharing information and assessments whenever North Korea launches ballistic missiles," it added.

The latest launches appeared to have been in response to multinational maritime exercise Pacific Vanguard, led by the US Navy's 7th Fleet, and other regional military activities.